Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Richard E. Bee
  • Patent number: 6953884
    Abstract: A drum beater for beating a bass drum is described. The drum beater includes a circular beater head having a reduced thickness around it's outer circumference for providing a relatively narrow outer extremity for striking the drumhead of the bass drum. The drum beater further includes a beater stem having one end secured to the beater head and having the other end extending outward from the beater head for attachment to a foot pedal mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Inventors: Denny R. Dennis, Marcel R. Daignault
  • Patent number: 6834773
    Abstract: A tissue dispenser for dispensing facial tissues and the like is described. The tissue dispenser includes a box-like structure having four sides, a top cover and a bottom cover. The top cover has an opening for enabling removal of tissues contained in the boxlike structure. A fastener is provided for releaseably fastening the top cover to at least one of the four sides. An attachment mechanism is secured to the bottom cover for attaching the tissue dispenser to a support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Inventor: Charles Wu
  • Patent number: 6743115
    Abstract: A golf club having a novel golf club grip assembly is described. The grip assembly includes an elongated forearm stabilizer blade mounted directly on the upper end of the golf club shaft and extending upwardly in line with the golf club shaft. A connector rod formed integrally with the stabilizer blade extends from the golf club shaft end of the stabilizer blade and is inserted into the upper end of the golf club shaft. In use, the stabilizer blade is pressed against the inside of the forearm of the golf player to provide a steady and accurate pendulum effect when swinging the club to hit a golf ball. In a second embodiment, the stabilizer blade is fabricated separately and is slipped over an elongated rod having an exposed end which is inserted into the upper end of the golf club shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Inventor: Michael R. Rodarte
  • Patent number: 6628891
    Abstract: Conditional access methods and apparatus are provided for use with digital television receivers and other digital broadband receivers. The methods and apparatus are capable of handling several different digital signal transmission protocols in an automatic and flexible manner. An input unit is provided for analyzing and tagging incoming data bytes so that further processing operations are less dependent on the transmission format being received. A cipher handling unit is provided for adapting in real time the scrambling and descrambling performances to match the requirements of the transmission network and the receiving apparatus. A filtering mechanism is provided for filtering and handling multiple asynchronous data streams in a parallel manner. A private recording mechanism is provided for making a private copy of selected incoming signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: SCM Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Luc Vantalon, Arnaud Chataignier, Christophe Genevois
  • Patent number: 6473369
    Abstract: A fast-acting method of regenerating track crossing signals for track searches across unrecorded areas on read/write optical discs is provided. This is accomplished by comparing the in-phase and quadrature-phase track crossing signals generated by the optical pickup head when a track search is being performed. A blank signal is generated when no quadrature-phase signal transition occurs between two successive in-phase signal transitions. Fake quadrature-phase signals are continuously generated. Upon occurrence of a blank indicating signal, the fake quadrature-phase signals are immediately supplied to the track crossing counter mechanism in place of the missing quadrature-phase signals. As a result, there is no loss of track count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Oak Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Quan, Trang Le
  • Patent number: 6419244
    Abstract: A heavy-duty all-terrain convertible hauler unit is provided which can be converted into various different configurations for hauling a wide variety of different kinds of cargo and material. This hauler unit includes an elongated chassis having first and second ends. A dolly-type load-support spade is attached to one end of the chassis and a pair of relatively large diameter rubber-tired wheels are mounted on the chassis at this same end, but on the side opposite the load-support spade. A longitudinally-extending handle member is mounted at the second end of the chassis when the hauler unit is used as an upright-type hand dolly. This handle member may instead be mounted on the load-support spade in a vertical position when the hauler unit is used as a horizontal-type cart. A third wheel is mounted in the center of the chassis at the second end of the chassis when the hauler unit is used as a horizontal-type cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Inventor: Fred E. Meabon
  • Patent number: 6383201
    Abstract: A surgical prosthesis for repairing a hernia in a sturdy tension-free manner. The prosthesis includes a layer of adhesion resistant material and a first layer of tissue ingrowth receptive mesh material affixed to the layer of adhesion resistant material. A second layer of tissue ingrowth receptive mesh material is positioned adjacent the first layer of tissue ingrowth receptive mesh material and a connecting thread is interwoven between the midsections of the layers for forming a midsectional seam fastening together the three layers. The prosthesis is implanted in the hernial area of the patient in such a manner as to duplicate the structure of the original unherniated fascial tissue. The adhesion resistant layer faces inwardly to prevent adhesion of internal body viscera to the prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Inventor: Tennison S. Dong
  • Patent number: 6364185
    Abstract: A sheet material dispenser box holder, such as a cosmetic tissue box holder, is made of elastic cord or strap material in a woven fish-net pattern forming a bag shaped container closed at the top except for an access opening for easy placement of a tissue box inside the box holder. Attachment means are fastened to the box holder for securing the box holder in a desired position on a support surface whereby it will remain reliably in any attitude of a vehicle or other surface to which it is mounted and readily allowing removal of individual tissue sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Inventor: Charles Wu
  • Patent number: 6362407
    Abstract: A drum practice pad comprised of a flat circular piece of hard material having a flat circular piece of resilient material bonded to the upper surface thereof, the piece of resilient material having a diameter which is less than the diameter of the piece of hard material. Sound insulating cushions are affixed to the lower surface of the hard material for supporting the hard material in an acoustically-floating manner during use. A plural-pitch set of drum pads is provided by using a second drum pad of this same construction, but with the piece of hard material having a different thickness or diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Inventors: Denny R. Dennis, Marcel R. Daignault
  • Patent number: 6352235
    Abstract: A combination bottle hook and bottle cap wrench device is provided for suspending a plastic beverage bottle from a nearby structure which is convenient to a person wishing to use the contents of the bottle and for providing a wrench mechanism for aiding the user to loosen the bottle cap of the beverage bottle. The device is comprised of an L-shaped piece of plastic material having first and second legs extending at substantially right angles relative to one another. One leg has an open-ended C-shaped head portion for clamping around the neck of the beverage bottle. The other leg forms a retaining member for placement behind a portion of the structure on which it is desired to hook the beverage bottle. The inner surface of the C-shaped head portion is serrated or notched for purposes of gripping the bottle cap when it is desired to loosen the bottle cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Inventor: Brian P. Cizek
  • Patent number: 6339542
    Abstract: A method of continuously replenishing a four-transistor static RAM storage cell is described. Such method comprises biasing both the back gate terminals and the normal gate terminals of the two bit line coupling transistors in the static RAM storage cell to voltage levels for causing a flow of small compensating currents through such coupling transistors when they are in a standby or non-access condition. Such small compensating currents are supplied to the two storage transistors in the storage cell for replenishing leakage of charge from the parasitic capacitance in the storage cell. The bias voltages are supplied by adaptive bias circuits which adjust the bias voltages to track changes in the leakage of charge from the parasitic cell capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Ang, Raymond A. Heald, Roger Y. Lo
  • Patent number: 6196435
    Abstract: A sheet material dispenser box holder, such as a cosmetic tissue box holder, is made up of elastic cord or strap material in a woven fish-net pattern forming a bag shaped container closed at the top except for an access opening, facilitating easy placement of a tissue box, inside the bag shaped box holder, such box holder having diverse attachment patches for retaining the box holder in position where it will remain reliably in any attitude of a vehicle or surface to which it is mounted while readily allowing removal of individual tissue sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Inventor: Charles Wu
  • Patent number: 6149286
    Abstract: A laser illuminated fishing rod is provided for making it easier to fish at night. This laser fishing rod includes a hollow pole for supporting a fishing line and having a handle end and a tip end. A hollow handle structure adapted for manual gripping by a fisherman is affixed to the handle end of the pole. A laser beam producing unit is located within the handle structure and is aligned to transmit a laser beam into the hollow interior of the pole in the direction of the tip end of the pole. This laser beam causes the pole to glow in a brilliant and highly noticeable manner. The pole illumination is very sensitive to movement or flexing of the pole. Even a slight flexing of the pole causes a shimmering or rippling effect in the illumination. This provides a readily visible indication at night that a fish is attempting to take the bait. A unique adjustment mechanism for balancing the weight of the fishing rod is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Inventor: Wylie E. Wiggins
  • Patent number: 6121896
    Abstract: A motor vehicle early warning system is provided for enabling a motor vehicle to receive a warning signal (e. g., a brake activation signal) from a preceding vehicle and automatically and instantaneously transmit a warning signal to a following vehicle independently of any reaction time on the part of the driver of the motor vehicle. A receiver is located at the front of each vehicle for receiving a warning signal from the vehicle ahead of it. A transmitter is located at the rear of each vehicle for transmitting a warning signal to the vehicle behind it. A control unit is located on board each vehicle for responding to the reception of a warning signal by it's receiver for automatically causing it's transmitter to transmit a warning signal to the vehicle behind it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Inventor: Anis Rahman
  • Patent number: 6112269
    Abstract: A modem interface unit is provided for coupling a communications modem to a host processor. The modem interface unit includes a host interface for coupling to a host processor, an anlog interface for coupling to a communications modem and a digital signal processor for performing signal processing operations on modem signals as they are transferred from the host interface to the analog interface and vice versa. A memory is provided for use in moving the modem signals through the interface unit. A sleep mode mechanism is provided for discontinuing the supplying of operating current to the digital signal processor when no modem signals have been transmitted or received for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: Karl Nordling
  • Patent number: 6110054
    Abstract: A golf club grip assembly is provided for stabilizing and improving the swinging of a golf club. This grip assembly includes a pistol grip body adapted to be affixed to the upper end of a golf club shaft for grasping by the dominant hand of a golf player. This grip assembly further includes a forearm stabilizer blade affixed to the pistol grip body and extending outwardly from a rearward end of the pistol grip body for engaging the dominant forearm of a golf player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Inventor: Michael R. Rodarte
  • Patent number: 6090154
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for linking stack messages to information relevant to stack entries and for generating the stack messages by adding link information to the stack messages. The stack messages are displayed to the user without the link information. Portions of the visible stack messages pertaining to the link information are highlighted, and upon selection by the user of the highlighted portion of the stack message, information relevant to the highlighted stack message is automatically displayed, for example, by running an editor, loading the source file corresponding to the message, and displaying the relevant portion of a source file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin Jeffries, David Weatherford, Evan Adams
  • Patent number: 6055591
    Abstract: A modem interface communicates data between a computer and a modem that is coupled to an external communication network. The modem interface includes a host interface for coupling to a host processor of the computer, an analog interface for coupling to the modem, and a digital signal processor for processing the data communicated with the modem and the host processor. A memory is coupled to the host interface, the digital signal processor and the analog interface. The analog interface provides clock signals and converts data between analog and digital for communicating between the memory and the modem. The analog interface provides an interrupt to the digital signal processor to control the transfer of data from the digital signal processor and the memory. The modem interface processes data at sampling rates while the host processor processes data at rates less than the sampling rate of the analog interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: Karl Nordling
  • Patent number: 5951456
    Abstract: An efficient method of separating a first material from a second material in a fluid mixture is provided. The fluid mixture of interest is caused to flow through two different sonic wave fields. In one field, the sonic waves travel in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow of the fluid mixture. In the other field, the sonic waves travel in a direction parallel to the direction of flow of the fluid mixture. The overall effect of the sonic waves in these two fields is to irreversibly break any molecular bonding between a substantial portion of a first material and a second material in the fluid mixture. In one embodiment, the perpendicular-directed sonic waves are cavitation waves and the parallel-directed sonic waves are standing waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Inventor: Harold W. Scott
  • Patent number: D449146
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Inventor: Laurice D. Ely